Mr. Dekker's songs were rediscovered, and he was signed by Madness's label, Stiff Records. "007 (Shanty Town)" is a 1967 rocksteady song by Jamaican band Desmond Dekker and the Aces, released as a single from their debut album of the same name. Dekker's trademark falsetto, singing lyrics in a In the 1960s, Jamaican Rastafarians were largely marginalized as "cultish" and ostracized from the larger society, including by the more conservative Christian church in Kingston. of the world. Desmond Dekker was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Desmond Dekker - Israelites (Official Music Video) Weedy Weed Smoker 7.04K subscribers Subscribe 349K views 5 years ago Music video by Desmond Dekker performing Israelites. of the biblical era. The singer and songwriter, whose 1969 . I told you once and I told you twice. "He died peacefully but it still hurts. This early religious upbringing, as well as Dekker's enjoyment of singing hymns, led to a lifelong religious commitment. May 25, 2006 - Desmond Dekker was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres on July 16th 1941 in Saint Andrew Parrish, Kingston, Jamaica. Dekker's last gig was in Leeds on 11 May (Photo: egigs.co.uk), Dekker's hits included Israelites, It Mek and 007 (Shanty Town), The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites, BBC Radio 2's Mark Lamarr pays tribute to Desmond Dekker. Along with Bob . Many of his "007 (Shanty Town)" was included in the soundtrack for Chocolate Skateboard's Las Nueve Vidas De Paco (1995), during the segment of professional skater Keenan Milton. States, but it reached No. career, "Israelites," was released in December of 1968 and This is one of the pioneers that has passed away - his place is definitely cemented in reggae history.". Orphaned at an early age, he was sent to live in a Dekker became associated with bluebeat, a more uptempo The track was written by Dekker (under his real name of Desmond Dacres) and his record producer, Leslie Kong, and was recorded in Jamaica with the brass . Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Israelites (Official Lyrics Video) Trojan Records Official 109K subscribers Subscribe 40K Share 3.5M views 3 years ago #Pyramid #Israelites #rocksteady Between 1967. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' Desmond Adolphus Dacres (Desmond Dekker), singer and songwriter, born July 16 1941; died May 25 2006, Jamaican singer best known for The Israelites and It Miek, he helped launch the career of Bob Marley, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. He moved to the UK in the 70s and recorded the hit You Can Get It If You Really Want, written by Jimmy Cliff. View their obituary at Legacy.com The 64-year-old Jamaican, best known for his 1969 smash hit Israelites, collapsed at his home in Surrey yesterday morning. gangsters they saw in Hollywood films. New York Times My Father lived with his Grandmother along with his Father in Kingston. celebrity on the island and throughout the Caribbean. career. With "The Israelites," released in Jamaica in December 1968, Mr. Dekker had an international impact. Early Life When Maxell used Israelites in a TV commercial, it propelled Dekker and his music back into the spotlight. [1] The group came to the attention of Dekker, who supported them when they auditioned for Leslie Kong at Beverley's studio in 1965. [1], Jamaica Independence Festival Song Contest, "Jamaica Ska Legend Winston Samuels Is Dead - News Americas NowCaribbean and Latin America Daily News", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Aces_(Jamaican_group)&oldid=1117842044, Easton Barrington "Barry" Howard (19651969), Winston James Samuels (left 1969, died 2017), This page was last edited on 23 October 2022, at 21:37. "The Israelites" was the peak of Mr. Dekker's extensive career, selling more than a million copies worldwide. Sung in Jamaican creole, some of the song's lyrics were not readily understood by many British and American listeners at the time of its release. Kong, whose music production skills had been a crucial part of both Dekker's and Cliff's careers, died in 1971, affecting the careers of both artists for a short period of time. I don't think anyone knew how close we were - we go back so far. [2] Just over six years after the original release, the song again reached a Top Ten position in the United Kingdom. He continued to tour regularly; his final concert was on May 11 at Leeds University. Its title and lyrics refer to the cool imagery of films such as the James Bond series and Ocean's 11, admired by "rudies". Mr. Dekker had a total of 20 No. The "007" riddim was revived in 2007 for a series of releases on Beverley's Records, forming the basis of singles from Joseph Cotton ("Ship Sail"), Mike Brooks ("Blam Blam Blam"), The Blackstones ("Out a Road"), and Dennis Alcapone ("D.J. The vocal melody is syncopated and is centred on the tone of B flat. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Los Angeles Times The themes of Dekker's songs during the first four years of his career dealt with the moral, cultural and social issues of mainstream Jamaican culture: respect for one's parents ("Honour Your Mother and Father"), religious morality ("Sinners Come Home") and education ("Labour for Learning"). I was his manager and his best friend, I don't think anyone knew how close we were - we go back so far.". All tracks composed by Desmond Dekker; except where indicated "It Mek" (Dekker, Leslie Kong) - 1:40 "Too Much Too Soon" (Dekker, Leslie Kong) - 2:38 "Coconut Water" - 3:27 "Sweet Music" - 2:29 Desmond Dekker, was born in Jamaicas Saint Andrew Parish on July 16, 1941, and was an early influencer with one of the earliest reggae hits, Israelites. The ska, reggae and rock steady singer, songwriter and musician was introduced to music through the local church he attended as a child. Originally issued in Jamaica as "Poor Me Israelites",[7] it remains the best known Jamaican reggae hit to reach the United States Hot 100's top 10,[5] and was written almost two years after Dekker first made his mark with the rude boy song "007 (Shanty Town)". The 2016 - current line up of musicians for Desmond Dekker's band the Aces featuring Delroy Williams & Guests. He was 64. "I saw him live dozens of times and he couldn't do a bad show - he was always magnificent.". He died after collapsing from a heart attack at. Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Mek" (1969) and "You Can Get It If You Really Want" (1970). The His 1980 album, "Black and Dekker," featured members of a venerable Jamaican band, the Pioneers, and Graham Parker's band, the Rumour. In 1975 this collaboration resulted in the release of "Sing a Little Song", which charted in the UK top twenty; this was to be his last UK hit. It Mek (sometimes appearing as "A It Mek" or German language "It Miek") was a 1969 hit song by the Jamaican musicians Desmond Dekker & the Aces.After being re-released in June 1969, the single reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. "The Israelites" reached No. Ostensibly a reissue of his 1969 U.K. LP of 1966-1968 recordings, which had . The rhythm had been featured by Anthony B in 2008 on The Pow Pow Trilogy, ("Time For The Love"). journalist Jocelyn Y. Stewart. At the time of his death, he was preparing as the headliner of a world music festival in Prague. best-known songs celebrated the "rude boy" culture, the name Born Desmond Adolphus Dacres, July 16, c. 1941, in Kingston, Jamaica; died of a heart attack, May 25, 2006, in London, England. It was his workmates who first noted his vocal talents, as the youngster sang around the workshop. the Specials considered him their musical hero. [3] In 2003 a reissue of The Harder They Come soundtrack featured "Israelites" and "007 (Shanty Town)". Photo Highlights: Protoje takes Hope Gardens A Matter of Time Live, The Top 100 Reggae Songs From 1962 2017. jazz elements, combined with such local forms as calypso and mento and "Isrealites" lyrics have long been obscure, but, with the wonder of the internet are now easily available and I have. the Jamaican charts. It was taken from an album of similar re-recordings of his old hits, Black & Dekker. Intensified 4. He was Mr Williams said Dekker had led the way for reggae stars such as Bob Marley. His 1960's songs used the upbeat ska rhythm, a precursor to reggae also known as bluebeat. He was 64. 1961. an ex-wife and a son and daughter, but Dekker was mourned by several Desmond Dekker, was born in Jamaica's Saint Andrew Parish on July 16, 1941, and was an early influencer with one of the earliest reggae hits, "Israelites." The ska, reggae and rock steady singer, songwriter and musician was introduced to music through the local church he attended as a child. By 1970 Dekker was living in England, but still worked steadily with Kong. Mr. Kong produced Mr. Dekker's first single, "Honour Thy Father and Mother," in 1963, and it reached No. The initial line-up of The Aces consisted of Clive Campbell, Barry Howard, Carl Howard, and Patrick Howard. Dekker was initially reluctant to record the track but was eventually persuaded to do so by Leslie Kong. Dekker soon garnered a wider audience with his songs, which were recorded Dekker was the first Jamaican artist to have a hit record in the US with Jamaican-style music. He died on 24 May 2006 in Thornton Heath, London, England, UK. of the island," wrote When he released Israelites nobody had heard of Bob Marley - he paved the way for all of them.". Stock Photos from Photos.com, iStockPhotos.com, 123rf. [3], Only a single live album was released in the late '80s. made it into the Top Ten on the U.S. singles chart the following year. But that song was treated as a novelty. On November 3, 2019, "Israelites" was prominently featured in the third episode of HBO's Watchmen. generations of fans. He also collaborated on a remix of "Israelites" with reggae artist Apache Indian. The movie's hero, played by Jimmy Cliff, sang it this time, and He had been due to perform at the Respect Festival in Prague on 2 June, and numerous dates across Europe . In 1993, the Specials reunited and backed up Mr. Dekker on the album "King of Kings," with remakes of ska hits. Desmond Dekker, the orphan who trained as a welder alongside one Robert Marley and led the march of Jamaican music on to the global charts, has died aged 64. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For the secondary James Bond theme, see, O'Brien Chang, Kevin & Chen, Wayne (1998), Soundtrack for the ages: 40 Years of Harder They Come, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=007_(Shanty_Town)&oldid=1099693912, This page was last edited on 22 July 2022, at 03:53. "007 (Shanty Town)" was included in the soundtrack of the film The Harder They Come,[13] and in the Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack from the Episodes from Liberty City add-on. The song has appeared in numerous movies and television programs,[14] including the soundtracks of the 1989 American film Drugstore Cowboy and the 2010 British film Made in Dagenham. [8] The single was a number one hit in Jamaica and reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the first Jamaican-produced record to reach the UK top 20. A man of many talents, Desmond Adolphus Dacres, a.k.a. of musicians and producers Dekker cut two more albums, "The Israelites," with its biblical imagery of suffering and redemption, showed the world reggae's combination of danceable rhythm and serious, sometimes spiritual intentions. Compass Point [2] Just over six years after the original release, the song again reached a Top Ten position in the United Kingdom.[2]. Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 25 May 2006)[1] was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. "It was an exciting time in Survivors include By the 1980s, he was signed to Stiff Records and his music created a short-term revival of ska, but he was bankrupt by 1984. "007 (song)" redirects here. wider renown. [4] It combined the Rastafarian religion with rude boy concerns,[5] to make what has been described as a "timeless masterpiece that knew no boundaries".[6]. Notable groups who have covered "007 (Shanty Town)" include: The song has been sampled by Special Ed ("I'm the Magnificent") and Shaggy ("Bonafide Girl"). 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. Despite declining sales, Dekker remained a popular live performer and continued to tour with The Rumour. [3], The new group recorded a number of Jamaican hits, including "Parents", "Get Up Edina", "This Woman" and "Mount Zion". He won the Jamaican Song Festival in 1968 with "Intensified.". 30," Steffens said. The Harder They Come Search instead in Creative? their ska-inflected hit "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." died on May 25, 2006, in London, at the age of 63 or 64. Singer. It Mek (sometimes appearing as "A It Mek" or German language "It Miek") was a 1969 hit song by the Jamaican musicians Desmond Dekker & the Aces. 1 in Britain and No. The two had met They provided the backing vocals on Dekker's major hit "007 (Shanty Town)" as well as the track "Music Like Dirt (Intensified '68)" (the winning song of the 1968 Jamaica Independence Festival Song Contest). [8] King of Kings consists of songs by Dekker's musical heroes including Byron Lee; Theophilus Beckford, Jimmy Cliff, and his friend and fellow Kong label artist, Derrick Morgan. [5] Many of the hits from this era came from his debut album, 007 (Shanty Town). years earlier, when both worked as welders in Kingston, and Dekker "[4], The song also deals with a 'rude boy' who after being released from prison continues to commit crime. Privacy Policy & Terms of use. 2 in the UK charts. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. His last concert was at Leeds Metropolitan University on 11 May. [1] By 1967, the only remaining members were Barry Howard and Winston Samuels and it was their backing vocals that featured on Dekker's track, "Israelites". [3], Dekker continued to release rude boy songs such as "Rude Boy Train" and "Rudie Got Soul", as well as mainstream cultural songs like "It's a Shame", "Wise Man", "Hey Grandma", "Unity", "If It Pays", "Mother's Young Girl", "Sabotage" and "Pretty Africa". comparisons between Jamaica's poor and the beleaguered Israelites Born Desmond Adolphus Dacres, July 16, c. 1941, in Kingston, Jamaica; died [1] Kong employed the group as backing singers for Dekker and they can be heard on the song "Get Up . the film introduced Jamaica's vibrant musical culture to the rest [5] Despite its cautionary sentiment, it cemented Dekker's popularity among rude boys in Jamaica,[2][6] in contrast to Dekker's earlier music, which espoused traditional morals such as parental respect and the importance of education. Mr Dekker was born Desmond Dacres on July 16, 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica, and started working life as a welder before turning to singing full-time. "Honour Thy Father and Mother" was released in Britain in 1964 on Chris Blackwell's Island label, which would later release Bob Marley's albums. I was his manager and his best friend. It was also a hit for Musical Youth in 1983. Dekker then recruited four brothers, Carl, Patrick, Clive and Barry Howard, as his permanent backing vocalists to perform with him under the name Desmond Dekker and the Aces. Desmond Dekker, who has died of a heart attack aged 64 in Surrey, was one of the first Jamaican vocalists to make a significant impact outside the land of his birth.